Jeff Teague says even Atlanta Hawks fans turned on him after his 2016 playoff shove on LeBron James
(Image Source - Getty Images)
In the
2016 NBA Playoffs
,
Atlanta Hawks
' point guard
Jeff Teague
gave a strong shove to
LeBron James
of the
Cleveland Cavaliers
, knocking him into the stands during Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals. This move came from Teague's frustration over previous playoff losses, but he was surprised by the backlash he faced from both Cavs fans and his own Hawks crowd. Years later,
Teague
reflects on that moment and the surprising responses it generated.
Jeff Teague reflects on fan backlash following 2016 playoff incident with LeBron James
Recently on the Club 520 Podcast, Jeff Teague shared the memorable incident when he pushed
LeBron
James out of bounds during the final moments of Game 3 in the 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Hawks were about to face another playoff sweep by the Cavaliers, and Teague's frustration reached its peak. "We was losing. Sh*t I'm a sore loser. I ain't win a playoff game against him ever. I was sick of this sh*t.... I got so much hate mail... that was my first time deleting Instagram" Teague admitted. He added that seeing Atlanta fans cheer for LeBron in their home arena intensified his emotions, leading to the impulsive foul.
Teague got a flagrant 1 foul for the shove, but it didn't stop there. He was flooded with hate mail, which led him to delete his Instagram for the first time. What really shocked him was how little support he got from Hawks fans. "I thought the fans was gonna ride with me. I was like, 'Stand up, Hawks fans.' They were like, 'Nah, that's the King,'" he recalled.
Teague was really frustrated because the Hawks kept losing in the playoffs to LeBron's teams. In the 2014-15 season, Atlanta had an amazing 60 wins but got swept by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The next year, they faced the same outcome in the semifinals. LeBron was on fire, averaging 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game in the 2015 series.
Reflecting on those matchups, Teague acknowledged the challenge of facing LeBron at his peak. "LeBron was just too dominant, man. Like, y'all, you can see him now from the USA game," Teague said. "He's 40 years old now. He's still the most dominant player in the league. Ten years ago, we didn't have a chance. We ain't stand a chance for him, man. He's just too dominant, man, too dominant."
Also Read:
'We getting a chance to see who can really hoop' — Dwyane Wade backs referees for letting physicality play out
The push on LeBron James was frustrating, but it really showed how complicated fan loyalty can be and how tough it is to go up against one of the best players ever.
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